Abstract: Systems and methods for gamified engineering education are disclosed. Embodiments are directed to an interactive learning exercise designed to allow participants to interact with a complex system, make observations, apply various performance engineering tactics and tools, and optimize the complex system based upon findings. At a high level, the system is a simulated casino floor with multiple pre-defined components, stations, roles, and tasks. The objective of the game is to settle as many player wagers as possible in a set amount of time by “tuning” various aspects of the casino operations. Aspects of the system—the components, stations, roles, tasks, etc.—have analogs in engineering problems. The knowledge gained, including the understanding of how different elements and aspects work with each other, may be applied by the participants to solve future engineering problems.

Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing image-based physiological status determination of users, and, in particular embodiments, for implementing physiological status determination of users based on marker-less motion-capture and generating appropriate remediation plans. In various embodiments, one or more cameras may be used to capture views of a user (e.g., an athlete, a person trying to live a healthy life, or the like) as the user is performing one or more set of motions, and the captured images may be overlaid with a skeletal framework that is compared with similar skeletal framework overlaid images for the same one or more sets of motions. The system can automatically determine a physical condition of the user or a probability that the user will suffer a physical condition based at least in part on an analysis of the comparison, which may be difficult or impossible to observe with the naked human eye.

Abstract: The present invention provides a retraction device comprising, a shaft, a plurality of arms supported by the shaft, the arms being configured to be moveable between a first orientation in which the device assumes an insertion profile for passage of the device through a surgical incision, and a second orientation in which the device assumes a retraction profile. At least one of the plurality of the arms is adapted to be adjustable between a first length and a second length.

Abstract: A transpired solar collector includes the follows. An absorber panel having a body formed of stainless steel; a surface layer of chromium oxide on an exterior face of the body through-holes formed through the body and surface layer, in which the surface layer has a thickness of at least 70 nanometres.

Abstract: A cutting chain (300) for a chainsaw (100) may include a plurality of drive links (310) and a plurality of side links (320). The drive links (310) are arranged to lie in a plane parallel to a plane in which a guide bar (120) about which the chain (300) is rotatable lies. The side links (320) are operably coupled to respective ones of the drive links (310) and are oriented to lie in respective planes substantially parallel to the plane. At least some of the side links (320) include cutting portions. The drive links (310) and side links (320) are attached to each other by rivets (360), and the rivets (360) have a longitudinal length that is less than or equal to a width of the side links (320) in a transverse direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flame resistant thermal liner comprising a nonwoven sheet comprising nanofibers of a synthetic polymer having an limiting oxygen index of at least 21, a mean flow pore of 10 micrometers or less, a thickness air permeability of 25 to 6000 cubic feet per min?micrometers (12 to 2880 cubic meters per square meter per min?micrometers), and an average thickness T1; and a thermally stable flame resistant fabric attached to an outer surface of the nonwoven sheet, the fabric having an average thickness T2; a surface of the thermally stable fabric being in contact with a surface of the nonwoven sheet; wherein T1 and T2 are selected such that the ratio of T1 to T2 is less than 0.75. The invention also relates to a flame resistant composite fabric comprising the flame resistant thermal liner and a garment comprising this flame resistant composite fabric.

Abstract: A computing system and method for request management receive an incoming customer request at a request management server. Components at the server identify a type of problem associated with the request and the customer sending the request. The system searches for a customer experience profile for the identified customer in a customer database stored in a computer memory and determines based on the customer experience profile if the customer has prior experience solving the type of problem identified. The system routes the customer to an abbreviated resolution process when the customer has prior experience solving the identified type of problem and resolves the request using the abbreviated resolution process.

Abstract: The invention concerns a scintillation detector with which high count rates and/or high resolutions are possible. The scintillator of the claimed scintillation detector is formed from pixels (2), which are separated from each other by interstices (4). Alternatively or additionally, the surface of the scintillator is divided by grooves into pixels (2). Such a structure enables not only a particularly high resolution. When multiple detector modules are used, it also allows high count rates in the range of roughly 20 MHz.

Abstract: A headphone (3, 4) comprises a body (5) forming a chamber (26) for enclosing an ear of a user of the headphone (3, 4). The body (5)has an acoustic seal (7) of a flexible material surrounding the chamber (26), and the body (5) has a cushion (8) extending around the acoustic seal (7) and separate from the acoustic seal (7). The cushion (8) has a first side face (38) for engaging with the head of the user.

Abstract: A computing system and method for request management receive an incoming customer request at a request management server. Components at the server identify a type of problem associated with the request and the customer sending the request. The system searches for a customer experience profile for the identified customer in a customer database stored in a computer memory and determines based on the customer experience profile if the customer has prior experience solving the type of problem identified. The system routes the customer to an abbreviated resolution process when the customer has prior experience solving the identified type of problem and resolves the request using the abbreviated resolution process.

Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing image-based physiological status determination of users, and, in particular embodiments, for implementing physiological status determination of users based on marker-less motion-capture and generating appropriate remediation plans. In various embodiments, one or more cameras may be used to capture views of a user (e.g., an athlete, a person trying to live a healthy life, or the like) as the user is performing one or more set of motions, and the captured images may be overlaid with a skeletal framework that is compared with similar skeletal framework overlaid images for the same one or more sets of motions. The system can automatically determine a physical condition of the user or a probability that the user will suffer a physical condition based at least in part on an analysis of the comparison, which may be difficult or impossible to observe with the naked human eye.

Abstract: A computing system and method for request management receive an incoming customer request at a request management server. Components at the server identify a type of problem associated with the request and the customer sending the request. The system searches for a customer experience profile for the identified customer in a customer database stored in a computer memory and determines based on the customer experience profile if the customer has prior experience solving the type of problem identified. The system routes the customer to an abbreviated resolution process when the customer has prior experience solving the identified type of problem and resolves the request using the abbreviated resolution process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flame resistant thermal liner comprising a nonwoven sheet comprising nanofibers of a synthetic polymer having an limiting oxygen index of at least 21, a mean flow pore of 10 micrometers or less, a thickness air permeability of 25 to 6000 cubic feet per min?micrometers (12 to 2880 cubic meters per square meter per min?micrometers), and an average thickness T1; and a thermally stable flame resistant fabric attached to an outer surface of the nonwoven sheet, the fabric having an average thickness T2; a surface of the thermally stable fabric being in contact with a surface of the nonwoven sheet; wherein T1 and T2 are selected such that the ratio of T1 to T2 is less than 0.75. The invention also relates to a flame resistant composite fabric comprising the flame resistant thermal liner and a garment comprising this flame resistant composite fabric.

Abstract: Portable coagulation monitoring devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. Namely, a test cartridge is provided for use in a portable coagulation monitor (PCM) device. Further, the test cartridge comprises two glass-filled thermoplastic polymer plates and a disposable blood introduction device. The two glass-filled thermoplastic polymer plates are arranged substantially in parallel with a small gap therebetween for receiving a sample of blood to be tested. Using the PCM device, the two glass-filled thermoplastic polymer plates can be moved linearly relative to each other. Methods of measuring coagulation response in a blood sample using the test cartridge and the PCM device are provided. A method of introducing blood into the test cartridge using the disposable blood introduction device is provided.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for recycling municipal domestic waste comprises subjecting the waste to steam at 150° C.-200°. After steam treatment, the resultant material is separated into constituent parts and biomass and/or plastics subjected to further treatment. The further treatment preferably produces bioethanol from the biomass and diesel from the plastics. As an alternative, some or all of the biomass may be gasified in order to produce hydrogen which may, in turn be fed to a fuel cell to produce an electrical output. The bio diesel or bioalcohol can also be used to produce electricity.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for more accurately estimating a remaining useful life (RUL) of an item. The RUL of the item is estimated by determining probability values throughout a time period. Each probability value quantifies a probability that a failure event of the item will occur by a time in a time segment of the time period. Based on the probability values, the particular time segment in which the failure event is most likely to occur is determined. Once the particular time segment is determined, the presentation of a visual representation of at least a portion of the time period can be effected. The visual representation indicates that the failure event of the item is most likely to occur during the particular time segment.

Abstract: A pair of obstetric forceps is described. The forceps comprise a pair of blades for holding the head of a baby and a handle having at least one part by which a user can apply a pulling force on the head of the baby in use. A mechanically operated force indicator is connected to the at least one part of the handle and is operable to provide a visual indication of the amount of pulling force being applied to the head of the baby when a user applies a pulling force on the head of the baby in use. A mechanically operated disabling device is operable to at least partially disable the obstetric forceps when a maximum pulling force has been exceeded. The blades can each have a superior rim and inferior rim wherein the greatest separation between the superior rims is greater than the greatest separation between the inferior rims when the obstetric forceps are in a closed configuration so that the blades adopt the form of an at least partially bowl shape.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally pertain to hoisting methods for vehicles, such as UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters (“Black Hawks”). An external hoist arm system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to be temporarily mounted to the outside of a vehicle. The hoist arm system is further configured to support a hoist and position the hoist above an external door of the vehicle. A rotatable adjustment member is used to adjust an angular position of the hoist relative to the vehicle.

Abstract: Mechanisms for predicting a remaining useful life of a cutter head of a milling machine that includes a plurality of flutes are disclosed. Features are extracted from reference data associated with a plurality of reference cutter heads. The reference data includes reference vibration data and reference wear data. At least two Neural Network predictive models are trained in parallel for predicting the remaining life of a new cutter head based upon the extracted features. Operational data associated with the new cutter head is obtained. The operational data includes operational vibration data and operational wear data. Features extracted from the operational data are input into an optimal predictive model of the at least two Neural Network predictive models. A remaining useful life of the new cutter head is estimated by the optimal predictive model.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally pertain to hoisting methods for vehicles, such as UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters (“Black Hawks”). An external hoist arm system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to be temporarily mounted to the outside of a vehicle. The hoist arm system is further configured to support a hoist and position the hoist above an external door of the vehicle. A rotatable adjustment member is used to adjust an angular position of the hoist relative to the vehicle.